USA > Maine > Genealogical and family history of the state of Maine, Volume I > Part 99
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His children of the first marriage were : John, William, Thomas, Samuel, Alice, Han- nah, Mercy, Melatiah, Mary and Sarah; of the second marriage: Joseph; of the third marriage: Israel, Ephraim, David and Heze- kiah. The children just named, fifteen in number, are in accordance with the usual pub- lished accounts. His grandson, Ezekiel, who removed from Kingston, Massachusetts, to Maine, in 1782, made a statement during the latter part of his life that his grandfather William had eighteen children, three of whom died in infancy.
(V) Ephraim, second of the four sons of Major William (4) Bradford and his third wife, Mary (Wood) (Holmes) Bradford, daughter of John Wood, alias Atwood, of Plymouth, Plymouth Colony, and widow of Rev. John Holmes, pastor at Duxbury, was born in Plymouth Colony, Massachusetts, in 1690. He was married, February 13, 1710, to Elizabeth, daughter of Wrestling Brewster, granddaughter of Love Brewster and great- granddaughter of Elder William Brewster. The two last were passengers in the "May- flower." The records of Plymouth give the name of the wife of Ephraim Bradford as Elizabeth Bartlett, but this is an error, as pointed out by Davis many years ago. Re- cently the evidence was examined by an expert committee, members of the .Mayflower Society, and the statement of Davis fully confirmed, that the wife of Ephraim Bradford was as stated above. They had ten children, five sons and five daughters. Elizabeth (Brewster) Bradford died December 5, 1741, in her fifty- first year. She was buried in the old cemetery of Kingston, Massachusetts, near the Brew- sters. The exact date of the death of Ephraim Bradford and his place of burial are unknown. His estate, however, was settled in 1746, and there is little doubt that he died that year. While a tombstone was erected to his wife's memory, there is none in the same cemetery to him. He was in all probability buried be- side his wife. He lived in Kingston, Massa- chusetts, on land bequeathed him by his father, on the north side of Jones' river.
(VI) Ezekiel. the eighth child of Ephraim and Elizabeth ( Brewster) Bradford, was born in Kingston, Plymouth county, Massachusetts,
in 1728. He was married, in 1749, or early in 1750, to Betsey Chandler, of Duxbury, Ply- mouth county, Massachusetts. Betsey Chand- ler was born in Duxbury, Massachusetts, Octo- ber 28, 1728, and was the daughter of Philip and Rebecca ( Phillips) Chandler. She was a descendant of Edmund Chandler, who was a freeman in Plymouth, 1633, thus: Philip (4), Joseph (3), Joseph (2), Edmund (I), all of Duxbury. Joseph (3) emigrated to North Yarmouth, Maine, and died there. Ezekiel (4) lived in Kingston, Massachusetts, on the road from Plymouth to Boston, near "Mile Brook," and here his children were born and brought up. These children were ten in num- ber, as follows :
(I) Ephraim Jr., born December 13, 1750, married 1777. Judith Morton, of New Glouces- ter, Maine. They had five children. He mar- ried (second) Anna Warren. of Portland, Maine, about the year 1800. They had two children. He died December, 1817. He lived in New Gloucester, near Cobb's Bridge.
(2) Deborah, born July 28, 1752, married Barnabas Winslow, of New Gloucester, Maine, June 24, 1776; died 1827.
(3) William (q. v.), born March 9, 1754.
(4) Rebecca, born September 22, 1756; mar- ried William True, of Minot, Maine, January 18, 1786 ; died September 22, 1832.
(5) Jesse, born March 7, 1758; settled first on lot Number 57, in Turner, Maine, before 1780. He married Judith Weston, of Kings- ton, Massachusetts, 1781. He was a petitioner for authority to found a Universalist church in 1803, and was selectman of the town 181I- 12-14-15 ; received one vote for representative in the general court of Massachusetts, in 1811, having already served as collector of taxes 1790-91, and member of the school committee 1796. Later in life he removed from lot No. 57 to lot No. 171. He built the first mills at Turner Center, which was for many years known as Bradford Village. He served in the Massachusetts militia in 1777, for the purpose of guarding the prisoners taken at the defeat of General Burgoyne. He died May 20, 1829. His wife Judith died November 6. 1842. They had nine children.
(6) Ezekiel, born December 15, 1759. He settled on lot No. 60 in Turner, Maine, in 1780; married Mary House, of Hanover, Mas- sachusetts, on December 14. 1786. He pe- titioned the general court of Massachusetts for the privilege of founding a Baptist society in Turner, Maine, and Buckstown, Maine. June 10, 1791, and a Universalist church in Turner
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in 1803. lle died October 28, 1829, and his wife Mary died April 25, 1852. They had five children.
(7) Chandler, born August 15, 1761, settled on lot No. 47, in Turner, Maine. He mar- ried Sarah French, of Turner, in 1783. In 1803 he was a petitioner to the general court of Massachusetts for the privilege of founding a Universalist church in Turner, Maine, and was selectman in the town 1798-1801 and 1804-07. He died in Turner, February 21, 1849. His wife Sarah died October 31, 1840. They had thirteen children.
(8) Martin, born October 17, 1763; settled first on lot No. 46, and later on lot No. 62, in Turner, Maine. He was married, August 16, 1790, to Prudence Dillingham, of Minot, Maine. He was trustee of the Congregational society 1813-32, and known as Deacon Martin Bradford. He was a very prosperous farmer, owning five hundred acres of land at the foot of Brigg's Hill, along the Turner and Minot Line. He died June 7, 1832. His wife Pru- dence died September 5, 1822. They had six children.
(9) Philip, born June 8, 1765; married Polly Bonney, of Turner, April 9, 1789; died June, 1789. No issue. His widow married Benjamin Chamberlain, of Turner.
(10) Betsey, born August 22, 1767; mar- ried Daniel Briggs Jr., of Minot, Maine, Feb- ruary 14, 1788; died November 2, 1815.
Ezekiel Bradford, the father of these chil- dren, removed from Kingston, Massachusetts, to Turner, Maine, with his family, in 1782, and died there September 26, 1816; his wife, Betsey (Chandler ) Bradford, died October 24, 18II. In the census of 1790, Ezekiel Bradford and his sons William, Jesse, Ezekiel Jr., Chandler and Martin, appear as the heads of families in the town of Turner, Maine.
On the fine Quincy granite monument, eight feet high and weighing five thousand pounds, erected near their graves in the Upper Street burial grounds in Turner, Maine, largely at the instance and through the energetic efforts of Lieutenant Commander (now Rear Ad- miral) Royal Bird Bradford, U. S. N., the following inscriptions appear :
(On the face) EZEKIEL BRADFORD Great Grandson of Gov. William Bradford of Plymouth Colony Son of Ephraim Bradford and Elizabeth Brewster
Born in Kingston, Massachusetts, 1728
Died in Turner, Maine, 1816.
(On the rear) BETSEY CHANDLER Wife of EZEKIEL BRADFORD
Born In Duxbury, Massachusetts, 1728 Djed in Turner, Maine, 1811. (On one side) Six of their sons settled in Turner. (On the other side) All honor to our pioneer ancestors.
(VII) William (5), second son of Ezekiel and Betsey (Chandler ) Bradford, was born in Kingston, Plymouth county, Massachusetts, March 9, 1754. He was brought up in Ply- mouth county, and lived with his father until he was twenty-one years old. In 1775 he went to Maine; his worldly possessions, when he left his home in Kingston, were, besides some clothing, an ax and one silver dollar. He paid the dollar for his passage in a coaster from Plymouth to North Yarmouth, Maine, but re- covered it by cutting enough wood for the coaster's return voyage. He then walked to New Gloucester, Maine, where his uncle, Peleg Chandler, lived.
The township of Sylvester-Canada was given to the heirs of Captain Joseph Sylvester, of Cumberland county, Maine, and of his company, for military services in the invest- ment of Canada under Sir William Phipps in 1690, and was incorporated as the Forty-sev- enth town of Maine, June 7, 1786. It was named Turner, for Rev. Charles Turner, of Scituate, Massachusetts, who was a distin- guished divine, patriot and state senator dur- ing the revolutionary war. After the war he settled in Turner and died there. In 1775 the proprietors of Sylvester-Canada, who for the most part lived in Pembroke, Massachusetts, were offering to give away lots in their town- ship in Maine, in order to induce a sufficient number of settlers to locate there to comply with the terms of their charter. Early in 1776 William Bradford proceded to Sylvester- Canada from New Gloucester, and selected town lot No. 56, where he built a log house and cleared some land. He returned to New Gloucester and spent the winter of 1776-77 there. Here he was married to Asenath, daughter of Ebenezer and Rebecca ( Winslow) Mason. The exact date of the marriage is unknown, but they were published November 8, 1776. In the spring of 1777 the young couple removed to Sylvester-Canada and lived there the remainder of their lives.
Ebenezer Mason was a revolutionary sol- dier, serving eight months in Captain Isaac Parsons' company, Colonel Prime's regiment. He was a descendant of Hugh and Esther
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Mason, who came over in the "Francis," 1634, and settled in. Watertown, Massachusetts, and the son of Jonas and Mary (Chandler) Mason, of North Yarmouth, Maine. Mary Chandler was descended from Edmund Chandler, of Duxbury, Massachusetts, thus: Joseph (3), Joseph (2), Edmund (I) ; therefore, William (5) Bradford and his wife Asenath were cousins once removed. Rebecca Winslow, mother of Asenath Mason, was descended from Kenelm Winslow, a brother of Edward Winslow, passenger in the "Mayflower." Kenelm came over a few years after Edward and settled in Marshfield, Massachusetts. Re- becca Winslow was also descended from Rich- ard Warren, passenger in the "Mayflower."
William Bradford was followed to Maine, first by his brother Jesse. In 1780 his brother Ezekiel Jr. had also located in Turner. He aided in the organization of the town of Turn- er under the direction of the general court of the commonwealth of Massachusetts. He was made tithingman in 1788; selectman and as- sessor in 1789; member of the school com- mittee 1796 and 1797 ; town treasurer continu- ously, 1791-1806 inclusive ; was named a can- didate for representative in the general court of Massachusetts in 1807 and 1809, and served as selectman of the town in 1810.
He was baptized and received into covenant relations with the Congregational church on the occasion of the second visit of Rev. Charles Turner to the settlement at Sylvester-Canada, Maine, in 1779. The first church organization in Turner, Maine, was composed of fifteen members, twelve men and three women, and their pastor, Rev. John Strickland, a graduate of Yale College, B. A. 1761, M. A. 1764, was installed pastor September 20, 1784, and died in 1823. At the time he took charge of the church at Turner the settlement was made up of thirty families, comprising about two hun- dred souls.
In July, 1799, William Bradford joined Charles Turner Jr., Israel Haskell, Jacob Leavitt, Daniel Briggs, Daniel Staples and Jabez Merrill in a covenant ; "to take laudable care of the religious Christian education of the children, whom God hath graciously, or may give unto us." He was a petitioner for a charter for a Universalist society in Turner, which was granted by the general court after much opposition, June 9, 1804; the names of his sons William Jr. and Asa also appear on the same petition. The first Universalist church built in Turner was located on his land and near his house on the Lower street. He continued to be a benefactor of this church
during the remainder of his life, and his de- scendants, in this particular, followed in his footsteps. Recently a stained glass window has been placed in this church in his memory and that of his son William and his grandson Phillips.
William Bradford was one of the petitioners to the general court for the privilege "to sell the parsonage and school lots lying in Turner," the petition bearing the date May 28, 1802; on March 15, 1803, he was appointed by the trustees of the church, he being one of the board, "to appraise the ministerial and gram- mar school lands with reference to their sale." He was a trustee of the church society 1803-12.
Notwithstanding his meagre beginning, William Bradford succeeded financially in his forest home. According to a tax list of Turn- er for 1794, containing seventy-two names, he paid the third highest tax; the two paying a greater tax being Rev. Charles Turner and Charles Copeland, both among the proprietors of the town. He left a large estate to his children. He died May 26, 1828. His wife, Asenath, died December 25, 1833. They had two children: I. William, born August 6, 1778 (q. v.). 2. Asa, born February 4, 1780; married Betsey Bray, of Minot, October 29, 1801. He was selectman of the town of Turner, 1821-25 and 1827-30, and a trustee of the Congregational society of Turner, 1812- 13.
Asa Bradford succeeded to the home of his father on the Lower street, at the head of the Cary Hill road; the house was large, flat- roofed and of two stories. Later he moved to the south part of the town and built a large brick house on the old county road, near Meadow Brook. He owned a great amount of pine timber in this vicinity and built a saw- mill on Meadow Brook. He brought the first piano into the town of Turner. He was said to resemble the Chandler family. He died June 22, 1863, and left a large estate. His wife Betsey died July 3, 1861. They had ten chil- dren, but there are no male descendants bear- ing the family name now living.
(VIII) William (6), eldest son of William (5) and Asenath (Mason) Bradford, was the second white male child born in the township of Sylvester-Canada, Cumberland county, Maine, the date of his birth being August 6, 1778. He was married October 22, 1801, to Chloe, daughter of Isaac and Mary (Stevens) Phillips, of Turner, and they had nine chil- dren, three sons and six daughters. Two sons and one daughter died when young. Isaac Phillips was a revolutionary soldier and
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served most of the time from April 19, 1775, to the latter part of 1778, in the Massachu- setts militia, or Continental army. He was credited to the town of Pembroke, Massachu- setts, where he was born. His father, Richard Phillips, also marched from Pembroke, Massa- chusetts, on the Lexington alarm, April 19, 1775, in Capt. Elijah Cushing's company.
William (6) Bradford was passionately fond of music, and owned the first organ brought into the settlement of Turner, which he had had built to his order in Portland, and which was kept in his house, the wonder and admi- ration of his neighbors. Upon the marriage of his daughter Chloe, who played it, he had the organ removed to her new home, which he had provided, and later to the Universalist Church. He was devoted to the interests of his native town, frequently serving it in an official capacity. He inherited a large property from his father, and was liberal publicly and privately to the deserving. Six of his children lived to be adults, and he gave each a farm.
(IX) Phillips, son of William (6) and Chloe ( Phillips) Bradford, was born in Turn- er, Maine, September 28, 1816. He married Mary Brett, daughter of Royal and Polly ( Reynolds) Bird, of Minot, May 27, 1839, and they lived in Turner, Maine.
Royal Bird, born in Dorchester, Massachu- setts, December 2, 1799, was the son of Aaron Bird Jr. and his wife, Joanna Glover. Aaron Bird Jr. served as drummer at various times during the revolutionary war, covering a period of more than two years and commenc- ing with the Lexington alarm on April 19, 1775. He moved with his family from Dor- chester to Minot, now Auburn, Maine, in 1800, and settled on what is still known as Bird Hill, overlooking Lake Auburn. Aaron Jr., born in Dorchester, April 7, 1756, was the son of Aaron and Ann (Shippie) Bird. Aaron Bird served as first lieutenant in Captain Lem- uel Clap's company, of Dorchester, during the revolutionary war. He descended from Thom- as Bird, who settled in Dorchester, Massachu- setts, and joined the church there in 1642. A record of this family was published in the N. E. H. & G. Register, No. I, vol. xxv.
Joanna Glover, mother of Royal Bird, was the daughter of Enoch and Susannah ( Bird) Glover, born in Dorchester, Massachusetts, February 3, 1756. Her father, Enoch Glover, served as a private for a considerable time during the revolutionary war, in the Dorches- ter company, commanded by Captain Lemuel Clap. He descended from John Glover, who came over in the "Mary and John," arriving
here May 31, 1630, and who settled in Dor- chester, Massachusetts. A full account of this family will be found in the Glover Memorials and Genealogies, Boston, 1867. Enoch Glover was also a descendant of Thomas Hinckley, the sixth and last governor of Plymouth Colony.
Polly Reynolds, wife of Royal Bird, born in Bridgewater, Massachusetts, September 16, 1799, was the daughter of Ichabod and Polly (Brett) Reynolds. Ichabod Reynolds moved with his family from Bridgewater, Massachu- setts, to Minot, now Auburn, Maine, in Feb- ruary, 1800, and settled on Briggs' Hill, near the Turner boundary line, and also near the homes of Daniel Briggs, William True and Martin Bradford. He was a captain of militia during the war of 1812, and marched his com- pany to Portland. He was generally known, however, as Deacon Reynolds, serving as such for many years in the Baptist church now at East Auburn. His father was Joseph Reyn- olds, of Bridgewater, who was descended from Robert Reynolds, of Boston, the latter made freeman and churchman in 1634. Joseph Reynolds served as private and corporal in various companies of militia during the revo- lutionary war. He married, September 17, 1772, Jemima Perkins, daughter of Luke and Rebecca (Packard) Perkins, of Bridgewater and Stoughton, Massachusetts. Luke Perkins served as a minuteman in 1775, in a Stoughton company, commanded by Captain Peter Talbot.
Polly Brett, mother of Polly Reynolds, born in Bridgewater, Massachusetts, March 1, 1777, was the daughter of Isaac and Priscilla ( Jack- son) Brett. She was descended from the fol- lowing "Mayflower" passengers: William Mullins, his wife Alice, and daughter Priscilla ; John Alden ; Peter Brown ; and Francis Cooke.
Phillips Bradford was prominent when a young man in the state militia. He was com- missioned a captain by Governor Kent, and brigadier-general by Governor Fairfield. He was frequently a town officer, and represented his district in the state legislature. While he- lived on a farm he was, like his father and grandfather, always more or less financially interested in lumbering operations and the manufacture of lumber. He was over six feet in height and of military bearing. He was an excellent horseman, and when mounted pre- sented a fine appearance. He was universally known as General Bradford. He died July 24, 1889. His wife Mary died June 30, 1890. They are buried in Turner Village cemetery. where rest the remains of his father and grandfather. Children of Phillips and Mary Brett (Bird) Bradford: I. Martha Rosetta,.
1
Rear admiral , ustawy.
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STATE OF MAINE.
born in Turner, Maine, September 1I, 1840; married June 14, 1865, Lieut .- Colonel Aaron S. Daggett, of Greene, Maine, now brigadier- general, U. S. Army, retired ; and Royal Bird, born in Turner, Maine, July 22, 1844.
(X) Royal Bird Bradford attended the dis- trict and grammar schools of his native town, and the academies of neighboring towns. At the beginning of the civil war he was sixteen years old, and urgently requested the permis- sion of his father to enlist in the Union army. Permission was refused on the ground that at the time there was a surplus of older and bet- ter developed volunteers to fill the quota of the state; consent, however, was given to prepare to perform the duties of an officer with a view to future service. He sought an appointment to West Point from the member of congress of his district, the late Judge C. W. Walton. The latter at once promised the first vacancy, which, however, did not occur until the sum- mer of 1862. This was a great disappoint- ment to the young man. On November 21, 1861, he was notified by Judge Walton that there was a vacancy at the Naval Academy to which he could be appointed immediately. This appointment was accepted not from choice, the army being then preferred, but solely be- cause it offered an opportunity to enter the service of the government sooner.
After passing the required examination, young Bradford entered the United States Naval Academy, then at Newport, Rhode Island, November 27, 1861, as midshipman. He was first quartered on board of the old 'Constitution,"" and there commenced his studies and first learned the routine of ship life in this historic frigate. Although enter- ing two months after the academic year com- menced, he had at the end of the year, June I, 1861, overtaken the regular class and ad- vanced to a high position in it. During the summer of 1862, between academic terms, he was one of a large party of midshipmen who garrisoned Fort Adams, at the entrance of Narragansett Bay, for a period of some weeks, during a threatened raid by a Confederate cruiser. He also cruised on the coast in the sailing sloop-of-war "John Adams," between Nantucket Shoals and the Capes of the Dela- ware. While this cruise was primarily for purposes of instruction, the ship was always kept in readiness for action.
The remaining three academic terms were spent on shore at Newport, in a large summer hotel which had been rented and fitted by the government for a Naval Academy so far as practicable. The large amount of scientific
and astronomical apparatus, models, etc., that had been left behind at Annapolis, Maryland, when the Naval Academy was hastily moved north at the beginning of the civil war, was much missed for instruction purposes. At the end of the second academic term, June, 1863, Midshipman Bradford was granted leave for the summer to visit his home in Maine. At the end of the third term, June, 1864, he cruised off the coast for three months on board of the sailing sloop-of-war "Marion," armed yacht "America," and the steam gunboat 'Marblehead." While in the latter vessel she was sent by the navy department in search of the Confederate cruiser "Tallahassee," and at one time hopes were entertained of her cap- ture.
About this time, Midshipman Bradford's en- tire class, feeling qualified to perform duty afloat and desiring to participate in active war service, petitioned the navy department to be ordered to cruising ships. The petition, how- ever, was refused. The last academic year was concluded in June, 1865, and upon the final examination held, in addition to the semi- annual examination, Midshipman Bradford was graduated No. 3 in a class of fifty-nine members. The first five of the class, when arranged in order of merit, were then desig- nated "Stars," or "the five most distinguished of their class." Graduation was followed by a third cruise for instruction, especially in seamanship, navigation and steam, in the sail- ing sloop-of-war "Macedonian," and the steam gunboats "Marblehead" and "Winnipeg." This cruise along the coast and in Long Island Sound ended at Annapolis, Maryland, the Naval Academy meantime having been moved back to that town. At Annapolis there was an- other examination in navigation and steam, both severe and unexpected. Five of the fifty- nine members of Midshipman Bradford's class failed to pass this examination and were turned back to the next class. Finally, on September 25, 1865, the class was detached from the Naval Academy and fairly launched into active service.
Midshipman Bradford's next duty was on board of the U. S. ship "Swatara," a new, fast steam sloop-of-war, built on the model of the famous Confederate cruiser "Alabama," and just completed at the Washington Navy Yard. He reported for this service October 20, 1865. Then followed a cruise in the West Indies, during which every island of any importance was visited. On this cruise he performed the duty of a watch and division officer, also the duty of an engineer officer. The "Swatara"
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returned to the Navy Yard, Washington, D. C., in May, 1866, and on June 4 following he was transferred to the U. S. steamer "Rhode Island," flagship of the North Atlantic Station. He served in this vessel as watch and division officer, cruising along the Atlantic coast as far north as llalifax and south to the West Indies, until December 1, 1866. He was then promoted to ensign, and ordered to the U. S. steamer "Iroquois," fitting out at the New York Navy Yard for the Asiatic Station. The "Iroquois" sailed from New York for Hong Kong, February 3, 1867. The cruise out was a very interesting one, the ship calling at the following ports: Guadaloupe, West In- dies ; Rio de Janeiro; Cape Good Hope ; Mada- gascar ; Comoro Islands ; Aden; Muscat ; Bom- bay ; Singapore ; and Manila, arriving at Hong Kong on November 1, 1867. After refitting, the "Iroquois" sailed for Japan and arrived at Nagasaki carly in December, 1867. The Mikado of Japan at that time lived in retire- ment at Kioto, the ancient capital. The coun- try was practically ruled by the Shogun, called by foreigners "Tycoon"; he resided at the great city of Yedo. Japan was then made up of a number of small domains ruled by princes called Daimios. Each Daimio had life and death power over his subjects, maintained a separate army and navy, issued such laws and regulations as he saw fit, and generally gov- erned in accordance with the old feudal sys- tem. Daimios were, however, required to pay certain taxes to the Shogun, and to live six months of each year at Yedo, in order to prove their loyalty. Their soldiers were hereditary fighting men, called Samurai ; they carried two swords, thrust through a girdle or sash, one short, for use at close quarters, and the other very long and heavy, for use with both hands. Both were very sharp, and carried in wooden lacquered scabbards, bottom up, in order not to dull the razor-like edge. No professional man, farmer, artisan or tradesman could even aspire to the honor of wearing two swords.
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